Singing on the Stairmaster (and in the Kitchen...)  

I've already confessed to working out in my awesome bathrobe, but I'm on a new kick- working out to ridiculous dance music that is better suited to our babysitter's set. I can't help myself! Calvin Harris, One Direction, and Flo-Rida really know how to get this girl fired up at the crack of dawn.

(Sooner than normal, you're probably wondering where the heck I am going with this, aren't you? After all, this is a food blog.) Well on Saturday, as I was putting away my groceries to the thumping beat of Pitbull and Lil' John, it hit me that different types of cooking should be paired with different types of songs. I realized that the right music for the right cooking task is what can motivate me when I'm just not feelin' it in the kitchen. The right selection might just make the difference between a rockin' family meal or junky take-out.   

So in an effort to inspire you when you're feeling down in the kitchen, here's my  list of favorites for my daily tasks:

1. Dicing Vegetables: This calls for focused, repetitive chick music like One Direction's What Makes You Beautiful or Flo Rida's Good Feeling.

2. Unloading Groceries: Prince's I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man. (Try not to dance!)

3. Washing Lettuce-Will Smith's Gettin' Jiggy With It.

4. Cooking a Romantic Dinner-I'm still a sucker for Andrea Bocelli's Por Ti Volare or Billy Joel's Shameless.

5. Making Guac and Tuesday Night Tacos: J. Lo and Pitbull's mix of Get on the Floor.

6. Shaking Cocktails- PINK's Raise Your Glass

7. Juicing-Bruno Mars' Just the Way You Are. (sigh...this has been my favorite song for almost 2 years now!)

8. Cooking with a Loved One: Feel So Close by Calvin Harris

9. Grilling-the Foo Fighters' Times Like These.

Enjoy this New Weekly Menu as you develop your own hot mix for the kitchen.  

Have a great (rockin') week in your kitchen!